Splicing mechanism for circular knititing machines



2,9302 14 d MACHINES March 29, 1960 T. J. THORE SPLICING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR xurr'rm Filed March 7, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheeii 1 Flfll.

Tvik INVENTORZ BY THOMAS J. THORE WWJW ATTYS T. J. THORE SPLICING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES March 29, 1960 s Sheets-Sheet? File d March 7, 1958 INVENTOR: THOMAS J.- THORE ATTYSI "March 29, 1960 T. J. THORE SPLICING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 7, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORi THOMAS J. THORE AT '1' Y3.

March 29, 1960 J THQRE 2,930,214

SPLICING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 7, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 F1515. 47 45 Z6 Z7 INVENTOR'. THOMAS J. THORE WWW/ AT YS March 29, 1960 T. J. THORE SPLICING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 7, 1958 FIELI 3.:

INVENTOR:

THOMAS J. THORE MW FIELIZ.

FlEll 5 ATTYS.

SPLICIN G MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Thomas I. Thore, Philadelphia, Pa, assignor to Fidelity Machine Company, Inc., Philadelphia, Pin, a corpora= tion of Pennsylvania Application March 7, 1958, Serial No. 719,896

' 3 Claims- (Cl. 66-134) Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive are diagrammatic views showing the needles and the associated elements of the splice attachment and illustrating successive steps in the cycle of operations;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a knit-' ting machine equipped with an attachment in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9, Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary plan view partly in section showing elements of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 9 in an alternative position of adjustment;-

Fig. 11 is a rear end elevational view of the portion of the machine shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 12 is a sectional view of the upper end of the needle cylinder and dial of the machine taken on the line 12-12, Fig. 9;

Fig. 12a is a fragmentary sectional view, similar to Fig. 12 but showing the dial needles in a diiierent position;

Fig. 13 is a view in perspective of the primary assembly of the attachment;

Fig. 14 is an exploded view in perspective showing 1 reference first to Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive of the drawings.

Therein the cylinder needles of the knitting machine to which the splicing attachment is appliedare indicated by the reference numeral 1, and 2 indicates a. finger or guide through which the foundation yarn 3 of a stocking is fed to the needles. The attachment of the presentinvention comprises a supplemental yarn guide finger '4 located at the outside of the needle circle as illustrated and normally occupying an elevated inoperative position indicated in broken lines in Fig. 1 and in solid lines in Figs. 5 and 7. "In this position the supplemental or splice yarn 5 is held out of the path of the needles, the free end of this yarn being anchored in a'combined clamp and cutter unit designated by the reference numeral 6. In effect this unit 6 comprises three blades which are designated respectively by the numerals 7, 8 and 9, and in the present instance the .blade 8 comprises in effect upper and lower independently adjustable blade elements 11 and 12 which co-act respectively with the blades 7 and 9.

The function of the baldes 7 and 11 is to provide a clamp for the loose end of the splicing yarn 5 passing borhood of 180.

ice a from the eye 13 of the finger 4. Fig. 1 shows the blades 7 and 11 in'the yarn-clamping position; and in Fig. 3 the blade 7 is shown retracted from the blade 11 to free the yarn. The blades 9 and 12 form together a shear which acts under conditions described below to sever the splicing yarn 5. In Fig. 1 these shear blades are shown in the operative position, whereas in Fig. 3 the blade 9 is retracted from the blade 12. The blades 7 and 9 move together as a unit between the operative positions shown in Fig. 1 and the retracted or inoperative positions shown in Fig. 3.

Assuming that the elements described are in the relative positions shown in Fig. 1 except that the finger 4 is in the elevated or broken line position, the free end of the yarn 5, also as shown in broken lines is then clamped between the blades 7 and 11. Under these conditions the yarn 5 is held out of the path of the needles 1. If thefinger 4 is now moved downwardly to the alternative position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, the yarn 5 or the portion thereof which extends between the finger and the clamp 7, 11 will be brought intothe needle circle as illustrated in Fig. 2 with the result that the yarn is picked up by the needles and knitted into the fabric with the foundation yarn 3. In this downward movement of the finger 4, the finger has a complex movement consisting in part'of a pivotal displacement which carries the finger from the elevated to the depressed position and in part of a longitudinal displacement which brings the eye {end of the finger into close proximity to the outside of the needle circle. The motion is illustrated in Fig. 2 wherein the extreme elevated position of the finger is indicated by the reference numeral 14 and the secondary or pivotally depressed position by the reference'numeral 15. From the position 15 the finger is advanced-longitudinally into the full line position 16 wherein the ofiset end of the finger containing the eye 13 is in close proximity to. the needle circle. This combined downward and inward movement of the finger insures the introduction of the yarn 5 into the needle circle precisely at a desired point for pick up by a given needle.

In this respect, it will be noted that the yarn end 5 traverses the needle circle in an area where the needles,

having picked up yarn from the finger 2, are descending to form their loops. The pivotal depression of the finger described above does not per se introduce the yarn 5 into the needles but places the yarn in such close proximity thereto that the subsequent advance of the finger anchored by the 'clamp'7, 11. The yarn 5 is then knitted into the fabric with the foundation yarn in the usual manner and, in a high splice, this knitting-in of. the yarn will continue over a predetermined segmental part: of

the circumference of the stocking usually in the neigh- The knitting-in of the yarn in this particular course is interrupted by retraction and re-el'e vation of the finger 4 to its original position as shown in Fig. 5, such retraction and elevation of the fingerwithdrawing the yarn from the needles as illustrated. The yarn however is advanced by the needle 10 around the needle circle to the point where the run thereof which extends between the finger 4 and the said needle comes into engagement with the edge of the blade 8 and between that blade and the now retracted blades 7 and 9. This isshown in Fig. 4; and also in Fig. 7. The blades '7 and 9 are then advanced into the operative position to sever the yarn and to clamp the looseend, as illustrated in Fig. 1. As the needle cylinder rotates the yarn finger Patented Mar. 29,- 1960 4 is again depressed to introduce the yarn at the same needle for initiation of another partial course of spliced fabric. This cycle of operations is repeated over the consecutive courses in which the splice is desired.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 8 to 16 inclusive of the drawings the finger 4 and the elements'of the combined clamp and cutter 6, together with the actuating elements for these parts, are mounted on a bracket plate 17 which in turn is supported on a bracket 18 in the fixed frame of the machine. As best shown in Figs. 12 and 13 the finger 4 is pivotaliy nronnted'in a block 19 on the plate 17 for oscillation in a vertical plane about the axis of the pivot 21. Oscillation of the finger is effected through the medium of a ball joint 22 connecting the butt portion 23 of the finger to a. rod 24 mounted for longitudinal sliding movement on the plate 1'7. Connection between the ball joint and the rod is by way of an adjustable link 25. As indicated in Fig. 12 the pivot pin 21 passes through an elongated pivot hole 26 in the butt 23 of the finger so that the finger as a whole may have in addition to the pivotal movement around the axis of the pin 21 a degree of longitudinal movement. Normally a spring 27 retains the finger in a relatively retracted position with respect to the pin 21 in which the-yarri'guiding end of the finger is relatively retracted from the needle circle. When however the rod 24 is advanced to move the finger 4 downwardly into the operative position previously described and after the finger has reached the intermediate position 15, see Fig. 6, in which position the rear end of the finger has engaged a stop 19 on block 19, the continued push of the link 25 on the ball joint will act to elongate the spring 27 and to move the finger longitudinally into the completely operative position 16 with the slot 26 arranged as shown in Fig. 12, the movement of the finger from position to position 16 is as shown in Fig. 6.

The blade 8, which as described is composed in the present instance of two relatively movable blades 11 and 12, is mounted on a block 28 on the plate 17 the mounting being adjustable as illustrated in Fig. 13; The blades '7 and 9 of this clamping and cutter assembly are pivotally supported at top and bottom respectively of the composite blade 8 by a pin 29 which extends upwardly through bosses 31, 31 on the blades 9, 11, 12 and 7. A spring 32 between the head of the pin 29 and the undersurface of the blade 9 serves to retain the movable blades 7 and 9 in face contact with the blades 11 and 12, and the pin is held in place by a split ring 30 which fits a circumferential groove in the pin. The blades 7 and 9 are operatively connected by a link 33 with one arm of a bell crank lever 34 which is pivoted at 35 on the block 28, and the other arm of the lever 34 is connected through a rod or link 36 with an actuating rod 37 corresponding to the rod 24 and similarly mounted for longitudinal sliding movement on the plate 17. As shown in Figs. 8 and 9 the rods 24 and 37 extend through apertures in a bracket 38 sefinger 4 and of the clamp and cutter unit 6, all as described above.

Since the splicing yarn will normally be inserted in local areas only'of the stocking, I provide a means for breaking the operative connection between the earns 55 and 56 and the levers 48 and 49 to thereby render the yarn feed finger 4 and the associated device 6 inopera tive. This means consists in the present instance of a pivotal connection between the plate 17 and the bracket or pedestal 18. This pivotal connection consists in the present instance of a screw 62 which attaches the plate 17 to the bracket 18 and which constitutes also a pivot pin about which the plate 17 may move in a horizontal plane. Additional screws 63 and 64, see Fig. 9, threaded into the bracket 13 pass through slots 65 and 66 in the plate and constitute limit stops establishing the normal position of the plate on the pedestal and also an angularly displaced position with reference to the axis of the pin 62. In this latter position, as illustrated in Fig. 10, the rollers 53 and 54 are displaced laterally from the earns 55 and 56 so that the continuous rotation of the earns 55 and 56 has no effect upon the finger 4 and the clampcutter 6. It will be noted also with reference particularly to Fig. 9 that this angular displacement of the plate 17 on its support has the added effect of removing the finger 4 and the elements of the clamp and cutter'from their cured to the plate 17, and springs 39 and 41, confined between the bracket 38 and collars 42 and 43on the rods, act to retain the rods in relatively retracted positions which are determined by engagement of collars-44 and 45 with the face of the bracket 38. On the rear end of each of the rods 24 and 37 is an adjustable tip, 46 and 47 respectively, which engage the upper ends of a pair of levers 48 and 49 pivotally mounted at 50, 51 on depending blocks 52 at the underside of the plate 17. Roller 53 and 54 on the lower ends of the levers 48 and 49 engage the faces of a pair of earns 55 and 56 mounted on a shaft 57 journalled in the frame of the machine. This shaft is operatively connected through a sprocket 58 and chain 5') with the power input shaft 61 of the knitting machine and is rotated continuously from the latter shaft. It will be apparent that the earns 55 and 56 will act to oscillate the levers 48 and 49, intermittently thereby effecting through the rods 24 and 37 intermittent actuation of the yarn normal propinquity to the needle circle and to the dial needles. A spring 67 attached at one end to a pin 68 on the rear of the plate 17 and secured at the other end to the frame of the machine as indicated at 69 in Fig. 9 tends to retain the plate 17 in the normal operative position Wihch is shown in the last named figure.

Angular retraction of the plate 17 as described above is effected in the present instance by cam action from the pattern drum of the machine. This drum indicated at 71 is rotated in conventional manner from the input shaft 61 through the medium in the present instance of a pawl 72 and ratchet '73 and under control of a pattern chain 73. The drum carries one or more cams 75 arranged for engagement with a follower 76 secured to a shaft 77 journalled in the machine. This shaft carries an arm 78 which extends upwardly and which carries an otf-set pin 79 which extends through a slotted opening 81 in the free end of a link 82 pivotally connected at 83 to the underside of the plate 17. When the parts occupy the relative positions shown in full lines in Fig. 9, namely the operative position with respect to the plate 17 and the associated parts, the arm 78 will occupy the full line position shown in Fig. 8 and the follower 76 will lie against the surface of the drum 71 clear of the cam or earns 75. When the follower 76 is elevated by the cam the arm 78 will be moved to the left as viewed in Fig. 8 to the broken line position, the pin 79 carrying with it the free end of the link 82. Since the pin is confined to movement ina rectlinear path this movement of the link will effect an angular displacement of the plate 17 to the broken line.

position shown in Fig. 10 in which the rollers 53 and 54 are remote from the cams 55 and 56. A reverse movement of the arm 78 will return the plate 17 to the original position and will restore the operative relation between the earns 55 and 56 and the rollers 53 and 54. A spring 84 tends to retain the arm 78 in. the position shown in 8 and maintains operative contact between the fol lower 76 and the drum 71.

The arm 78 is extended upwardly and through the medium of an extension 85 and the upper end of this extension is secured to a rod 86. The connection is by way of a pin or screw 87 which extends through a longitudinal slot 83 in the end of. the rod 86 and which affords thereby a degree of lost motion between the. extension 85 and the said rod. The forward end of this rod is connected to a lever 89 pivotally attached at 91 to a bracket 92 on the frame of the machine, this lever 39 having at its free end a shoe 93 the edge of which, when the lever moves into the position shown in Fig. 9, is advanced into the path of jacks 90 of the dial needles 94 of the machine to displace the needles inwardly from the normal stitch casting position (shown in Fig. l2) to the position shown in Fig. 12a. Allowance for such displacement is made in the dial needle cam 95 as shown in Fig. 12. The purpose of this displacement of the dial needles is to avoid any possible interference between the dial needles, and particularly of the latches of these needles, and the elements of the cutter unit 6 which, as shown in Fig. 14, occupies an operative position overlying and in close proximity to the peripheral edge of the dial 96. It will be noted that the displacement of the dial needles occurs in the present instance slightly in advance of the cutter unit 6 in the direction of needle travel. The needles will then be maintained in the displaced position by centrifugal force acting on the relatively heavy upper ends of the jacks 90 until the needles are again extended by the cam 95. Retraction of the arm 78 will move the plate 17 about its pivot as described above to inoperative position and will also effect, through the medium of the extension 85, a retraction of the rod 86 and of the lever 89 and shoe 93.

I claim:

1. A knitting machine having a rotary needle cylinder and means for feeding a foundation yarn to the needles for production of a knitted fabric, and mechanism for introducing asplicing yarn into the needle circle for incorporation in the said fabric by the needles and for subsequently withdrawing splicing yarn from the circle, said mechanism including a yarn feed finger engaging the yarn at one side of the row of needles in said circle, means for depressing the finger to introduce the yarn into the needle circle, means for elevating the yarn to withdraw the yarn from the circle, a yarn clamp at the other side of the said row of needles from said finger arranged to intercept the yarn in the area between the needles and the finger when the latter is in the elevated position and as subsequently depressed, yarn-shearing means for severing the yarn in the area between the needles and the clamp simultaneously with the anchoring of the yarn by the latter, a bracket forming a common mount for the yarn finger and the yarn clamping and shearing means, means for shifting the bracket to withdraw the said finger and the clamping and shearing means from operative positions with respect to the needle cylinder, cam means apart from said bracket for actuating the finger, the clamp and the yarn in advanced by the needles after such elevation,

the shears, and cam-follower elements carried by the bracet and retractable from the cams when the bracket is shifted.

2. A knitting machine according to claim 1 wherein the bracket-shifting means comprises a cam drum operating in timed relation with the needle cylinder, and means for operatively connecting the drum with the bracket to shift the latter.

3. A knitting machine according to claim 1 including a rotary dial and needles in said dial cooperatively associated with the cylinder needles, cam means in advance of the shearing means with reference to the direction of needle travel for displacing the dial needles inwardly from a normal retracted stitch-casting position in the dial and means operative when the said bracket is shifted to the operative position for advancing the cam means to inwardly displace the dial needles, and for retracting the cam means from the advanced position when the bracket is shifted to the inopertaive position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

